Latest California Healthline Stories
Interim Final Rule Puts Off Deadline on Health Insurance Protections
CMS has issued an interim final rule on insurance regulations that assist individuals whose coverage has been dropped or whose claims have been denied. The rule pushes back by six months the deadline for when states must have such standards in place. Modern Healthcare et al.
UCSF Study: Medicaid Could Cut Costs With ‘Essential’ Rx
State Medicaid programs could reduce costs and provide patients with safer prescription drugs by using the World Health Organization’s “essential medicines list,” according to a study by UC-San Francisco researchers. The study states that adopting the essential medicines list could lower the number of medications available for Medicaid beneficiaries but increase the efficacy and safety of the drugs. Researchers recommended the creation of a national medicines list. Bay Citizen‘s “Quality of Life” et al.
Chiang Docks Lawmakers’ Pay; Brown Mulls New Budget Plan
State Controller John Chiang said he will block pay for California lawmakers because the budget plan they passed last week was unbalanced. Meanwhile, Gov. Brown is expected to release an alternative state spending proposal as soon as today. Los Angeles Times et al.
HealthGrades Rates Hospital-Based Bariatric Programs
On Tuesday, HealthGrades released a report rating hospital-based bariatric programs. After studying 193,518 bariatric surgery records from 468 hospitals across 19 states between 2007 and 2009, HealthGrades assigned facilities one, three or five stars based on whether their risk-adjusted complication rates were “poor,” “as expected” or “best”. Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Los Angeles and California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco were among the hospitals that received a five-star rating, while UC-Irvine and Temple Community Hospital in Los Angeles received a one-star rating. The report found that bariatric surgery patients receiving care at the nation’s top-performing hospitals have a nearly 70% lower risk of in-hospital complications than those treated at low-performing facilities. Contra Costa Times, ABC News.
Veterans With PTSD at Higher Risk for Health Problems
Research from the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center finds that combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder are significantly more likely to experience dementia, cardiac problems and structural changes in the brain as they age than veterans who do not have PTSD. On Thursday, the fourth annual “Brain at War” conference in San Francisco will examine research on the long-term effect of combat and PTSD on the brain. San Francisco Chronicle.
FDA Unveils Graphic Warning Labels for Cigarette Packs
On Monday, FDA released nine new cigarette warning labels that prominently display images depicting the negative health risks associated with tobacco consumption. The warnings will be required to be placed on the top half of tobacco packaging and constitute 20% of advertisements no later than the fall of 2012. According to FDA, new cigarette labels must include an image showing adverse health effects from smoking, a phrase such as “Cigarettes cause cancer,” and a national smoking cessation hotline number. AP/Miami Herald.
Eligibility Loophole Lets Middle-Income Earners Qualify for Medicaid
A provision in the federal health reform law could allow up to three million middle-income early retirees to qualify for Medicaid in 2014. An HHS official said the agency is concerned about the eligibility loophole and is looking into ways to address it. AP/Yahoo! News, CQ HealthBeat.
Insurance Market To Remain ‘Stable’ Under Reform, Report Finds
An Avalere Health report finds that large employers likely will keep offering coverage under the health reform law. The report contrasts a recent McKinsey survey finding that about 30% of employers plan to drop job-based coverage. CQ HealthBeat, Washington Post‘s “The Plum Line.”
Bill Would Formally Approve One-Stop Vision Care Model
A bill in the California Legislature would give formal approval to a one-stop model for vision care. The model — which has been used for more than two decades — allows patients to have an eye exam and purchase eyeglasses in the same location. However, some eye doctors and the state attorney general’s office oppose the bill, arguing that one-stop vision care models can result in optometrists pushing patients to purchase expensive eyeglasses. Contra Costa Times.
Wrong-Site Surgery Rates Could Be Rising Nationwide
Despite national efforts to prevent wrong-site surgeries, the problem could be worsening. Last year, 93 wrong-site incidents were reported to the Joint Commission, compared with 49 in 2004. Joint Commission President Mark Chassin said these errors have proven “more complicated to eradicate than anybody thought” because eliminating them requires changing hospital culture and ensuring that physicians collaborate and follow standardized protocols. Kaiser Health News/Washington Post.